The Most Precious of Artifacts
by iExpress
Summary: Caeli is a young woman with the power to sustain fire - a passive ability she knows nothing of. Once her small hometown under the Lonely Mountain is destroyed, a certain fire drake notices her talent and takes interest in this "peculiar artifact of humanity". Smaug x OC. Rated T for violence and language. Request. Basic idea and the OC belong to Rheijima of GaiaOnline.
1. Your Fire was Bright

The town has fallen. It went up in flames easily, like ants underneath the magnifying glass. The fire drake flew above the burning roofs, enjoying the chaos he caused and food he was about to feast on.

* * *

Even though she couldn't feel a lick of flame burning against her skin, the sight of burning town was equally painful for the heart of a young woman, running for shelter with the rest of the crowd. Familiar faces were all around, men she once worked with, women whose house she once cleaned, children she used to help with reading – all dead or burning or escaping, in tears, wounded and terrified. Caeli felt her eyes well up with tears, but she shook her head, ignoring the overwhelming sadness - she couldn't think about that now. The savings, her life's work, the only means to achieving her dream - she needed to get to them. She averted her eyes from the horrors around her and rushed back to her modest home. It was already well in flames and most of it torn down, but it wasn't a large home to begin with – she had no problems locating the luckily untouched bag of copper coin. Grabbing it and firmly holding onto it, she proceeded to run at full speed, hoping to catch up with the rest of the townsfolk that ran away before her. Someone had been informing them of the refuge the townsfolk could fin in the cliff beyond the nearby forest when the dragon first attacked and Caeli ran faster, hoping to escape the terrors.

The young woman stopped dead in her tracks just as she ran outside the town walls, trying to cross the bridge, and at that moment knew it was hopeless – there would be no escaping to the cliff, not for her nor for dozens of dying men surrounding her.

Right before her, some distance away, no other but Smaug the Golden stood triumphantly over the remains of people she ran by just moments ago – if she didn't escape back for her savings, she might've been the one being eaten at that very moment. The great dragon never gave any attention to the insignificant, petite form standing before him, frozen in fear among the wicked flames and dead bodies, when he breathed another heavy blast of fire straight at her in an attempt to finish the small town off.

His fire was brighter and more powerful than any she had ever seen, but Caeli had no doubts it would have the same lack of effect on her as any other fire did – it felt very warm, too hot even, unlike any other fire, but it wasn't harmful. Her mysterious ability was effective even against the flame of the powerful drake. The gust of wind and smoke and the sulfuric scent though, felt strong enough to knock her of her feet, but she managed to hold her ground – it was the strong smell that made her nauseous and made her forget herself for a moment. Then she realized it was the possessions she had to be worried about and she protectively turned her back to the flame, trying to save the coins she had saved up, clutching them pathetically in her arms. If she could only save this little she had, she could pretend to be dead later and perhaps, miraculously, live. The dragon would hardly notice one body, lying down in sooth.

And perhaps her plan would've worked, if it weren't for the might of Smaug's flame - because she then heard the sound of her coin falling all over the bridge as the bag they were kept in burned, and she panicked. The pathetic copper coins melted effortlessly in Smaug's fire, disappearing as quickly as her clothes did in his flame and Caeli realized everything she worked for was going away before her tear-welled eyes – for several moments too long, she lingered around, not comprehending her oncoming misfortune.

The fiery attack had ended. Her clothing, her savings, everything down to the last coin, was gone. Only a small golden bracelet remained, the biggest treasure she had had. It heated up well, but managed to remain intact and she absent mindedly slid it onto her wrist.

Suddenly recovering from her daze, the petite woman turned around to face the dragon, angry, scared – and shocked as she realized the dragon might've seen her surviving the flame, might've seen her noticeable jet black hair and her ivory skin, despite the fact it was smudged with soot, still glistened strongly in the sun. The last thing she wanted was to die as someone's snack, and she quickly rushed off back into the still burning town and slid behind the wall. He had gotten what he wanted, ate the cattle and the ponies, rampaged through her hometown and conquered the territory, everything – surely, he won't come after one short, petite woman?

"Hiding will not help you, little one."

His deep voice echoed strongly through the ruins of the town and Caeli gulped hard. She had very few options, and all of them seemed to bring death.

There was nothing but silence in the following moments and she found it suspicious. Carefully, she peeked from behind the wall, and astonishingly noticed he was gone. Perhaps he had realized she was not much of a target to begin with. Sighing in relief, she turned back in the exact same moment to see the landing of a gigantic dragon before her – it was amazing how a being of that size could still sneakily take off and appear before her. The ground shook as Smaug descended, eyeing the young woman dangerously. Caeli froze, fear completely overwhelming her, heart sinking into the stomach, voice gone – she couldn't even scream or beg or cry. If only she hadn't gone back for the coin. If only she waited until the dragon left. She'd now have her chance to recover whatever she could from the town.

It was over, she realized as the dragon got closer to her, step by step. Caeli closed her eyes, preparing to be eaten, stomped, crushed or whatever cruel method the giant drake preferred.

His snout sniffed at her, and Caeli had no doubts she would be bitten into at any moment. She was preparing for pain, but wasn't prepared to be addressed instead.

"You have a peculiar talent, little one." The dragon addressed her with a curious, but equally terrifying tone. Caeli, although scared to death, had to wonder just what it was that still kept her alive, and wondered if it was indeed his interest in her mysterious ability. Her words, however, still couldn't make its way out of her throat, the fear still too strong.

When she didn't answer, the dragon leaned in, his head lowering dangerously close, close enough to end her in one snap of her jaws and turned one of his brilliant golden eyes to her. He spoke again, amusement in his voice.

"Come now, you're not dead yet. Humor me." He encouraged. Caeli opened and closed her mouth several times, much like a fish and looking equally silly, before she managed to stutter out.

"Y-yes, I… I don't know what it is, Sir, Smaug the Magnificent," she remembered to compliment; thought she knew little of these beings, she heard dragons loved good praise, "but-but, I-I have been born with it, that is, a-at least I t-think so." She rambled. Smaug snickered, the deep voice causing vibrations in the ground.

"Your origin is a mystery to you. How quaint." He purred, almost satisfied with this discovery. "One would've thought that even so, you'd know what you are."

The fear ebbed slightly as Smaug's words sank into Caeli's mind and she frowned. Curiosity got the better of her as she dared to speak, albeit weakly.

"What… what I _am_?" She inquired.

"Oh, yes." Smaug let out a prolonged hiss. "Children like you are… a precious rarity." He paused. "Much like many of this world's unique artifacts among gold, you stand out among humans."

Smaug was being heavily mysterious – like he enjoyed the fact she was ignorant, while he seemed in the possession of knowledge she had been after for so long. Caeli dared not ask about it, but Smaug saw through her like through thin web of a spider.

"Your wish to learn might as well be the reason I'll let you live, little one." Smaug said cryptically. Caeli almost allowed herself to smile, believing it too good to be true. She couldn't care less if she had no money if it would mean she could get out of meeting Smaug the Magnificent face-to-face with her heart still safely beating in her chest.

His next words, however, gave her no reason to smile.

"Your precious skin, weak as it may be, has saved you from my flame. Its peculiarity has saved you from my wrath. A human like you is indeed, a precious artifact to possess."

Caeli went pale, which was impressive in comparison to her ivory complexion.

"Y-you… you d-don't mean…" Her quiet words fell on deaf ears. Caeli pleaded the great dragon with her teary eyes, but the dragon rose, spreading his wings and one of his claws launched at her. For a moment, she was convinced she was about to be crushed, when she realized he scooped her up. Tiny as she was, she curled up in the massive claw of a dragon, darkness encircling her – and she could feel he dragon rise into the sky and carry her away. It was then when he let his claw a bit loose and she could suddenly see – they were flying on incredible heights, and flying towards the mountain.

As much as the scenario should've scared her, at that very moment, she was mostly frightened of the huge fall that was between them and the land. Caeli felt dizzy as the nausea overtook her and the familiar dread of heights sank in. Slowly but surely, she fainted, the Lonely Mountain being the last sight reflecting in her golden eyes.

* * *

It was extremely warm, so warm that it prompted Caeli to wake up – while she didn't find the heat bothersome, it was suffocating. Despite the fact it was warm enough, she regrettably noticed she didn't have any clothes, only now fully registering it. At first, she thought she was in her hometown, among the remains of Smaug's fury. Recalling the conversation with the mighty dragon, but not much else after, she got up to her knees; then her hand touched at something metallic and hard. Caeli's eyes opened and rounded at the sight of a big, perfectly shaped golden coin.

Such coins were a rare sight, even amongst humans and especially in poor town of fishermen and farmers she used to live in. Gasping audibly she looked down and saw more, more and more gold lying around until her eyes finally rested upon a pile. It would in fact be wrong to call it a pile – it was a real hill of gold, jewelry, gemstones and riches in all shapes and forms. Not one, many, numerous hills and dunes and valleys of gold wherever she looked – a very small patch of floor wasn't covered in it, and it was the very patch she woke up on.

It was only then that she realized she was in a huge, spacious room, of high ceiling and with numerous pillars, filled to the brim with riches that could feed the entire Middle Earth for several years, if not even decades.

Then she recalled the dragon's words and she wiped the accumulated sweat on her forehead. For what purpose would a dragon bring her here? More important, was she going to be food? What was even the need for that? One small human like her could hardly satisfy a peckish dragon.

As she got up, her hand unexpectedly touched something soft among the golden coins scattered on the floor and realized it was an old, monk-like white robe. Only heavens knew how long it must've been hanged on the shoulders of a dead man, but at that moment she didn't care. Despite the fact she was in danger, she still had some dignity left, and she hastily put the robe on – despite its obvious old age, it still looked more fancy than most of the clothes she ever wore.

She started climbing the hill of gold, not knowing where was she going or what was she looking for – she didn't know the place and knew getting out of here would be anything but easy. As she climbed, golden coins slipped beneath her feet and she couldn't help but marvel at it, at the beauty of various pots and chalices, at how wonderful she would look with a jeweled necklace and rings gracing her body.

Caeli looked around. There was no sign of the fire drake and she jealously eyed the pretty necklace. Like a dragon would ever know if a single necklace was missing. Still, she had an ominous feeling of being watched. Against her better judgment, she swiftly put the necklace around her neck – it slid on easily and rested hidden beneath the robe.

She kept climbing until she reached the top of the golden hill and exasperatedly noticed it was but an anthill in comparison to the rest of the giant chamber. There was no sight of any door or passages, all obscured by giant piles of shiny riches.

In that moment a giant shadow fell from above and beneath the golden hill she climbed. Caeli's breath hitched and she mentally cursed for underestimating the dragon's carefulness. Slowly, she turned around, once again terrified in the realization of just how massive the dragon was. Even when on this hill of gold, she had to look up to look into the dragon's golden eyes with her own.

"That wasn't a smart thing to do, little one." Smaug hissed and Caeli tensed up. There wouldn't be a way out of here, she realized. This mountain would be her grave. Yet if it had to be so…she decided that she wouldn't be just scared anymore. If she was going to die here, might as well die with her dignity standing firm.

"What is one little necklace for mighty and magnificent Smaug, who sleeps and lives on a pile of gold he so gloriously overtook?"

Smaug let out a deep chuckle; compliments wouldn't get anyone too far with a dragon. If anything, it would postpone their unfortunate demise. Still, he seemed pleased about her awareness of his penchant for hearing praise.

"Such entertaining question, even if a bad one." Caeli trembled, wondering if she had said something wrong. "What are all these riches for a woman trapped inside the dragon's lair?"

Caelie fell silent – he did have a point. The beauty of the necklace, the value of any of the gold in here, come to think of it, was hardly a satisfactory element in her current predicament.

"Well, I'm not dead _yet_. Your Greatness might as well just humor me with this petty thing." She wittily suggested, paraphrasing his words from before. Smaug seems pleased with her wit.

"Such a snappy tongue inside the mouth of such a timid looking woman." He scoffed. "I'm almost intrigued. Still," he leaned towards her, and she tried her best not to falter as he gave her a dangerous stare, "I hold a lot of pride in what I came to possess."

Caeli gulped as her hands clumsily took the necklace off and threw it away into the golden coins, making a pleasant, ringing sound which seemed very pleasant to the dragon.

"Next time, I will not hesitate to punish such theft." The dragon informed. "Don't think that because I allow you to live, you have any more right before me than a sheep."

"…why did you bring me here?" Caeli finally asked. Smaug gave a wicked grin.

"You are humanity's rare gem, and of proper, most beautiful age, too." Smaug had observed with with such tension, that Caeli shyly noticed she was glad she found that robe. "Someday you will wilt, but until that day, I'll enjoy possessing such a rarity."

Caeli knew better than to provoke a dragon who likely didn't value her life – or any life, for that matter – highly enough to spare it, should she act insolent. But she simply couldn't sit tight and watch this beast claim ownership of her life the same way she claimed her coin after working for it.

"Of what use is a human life if it can't be lived to its fullest?" She angrily asked. "My skin may be precious to you, my powers entertaining, but why do you narrow a human life down to a possession of a pretty thing, a shiny object? It isn't what humans are!" She spread her arms. "If that is all I should be to you, a silly toy with interesting powers to marvel upon, then you might as well end me now."

"Don't push your luck, little one, because I just might!" Smaug roared mightily as he circled around her like a predator, his voice alone shaking the very foundations of the mountain. His vicinity and dangerous voice sent shivers down her spine, but despite the fright, Caeli didn't falter.

"I don't intent to live here until you grow tired of me. Such life isn't worth living. I don't demand your respect or sympathy, nothing at all. I will admit and accept your greatness, your might and power, your rule of these lands, your superiority! But if it's my life you're playing with, you'll have to either let it unfold in freedom or end it right here and now."

The dragon encircled her with his huge body and Caeli was sure she was done with; she had definitely provoked the dragon to the point where he'd consider her not half as fun as she could be.

Yet, Smaug simply gazed at her.

"Your insolence is definitely punishable, yet the resolution you're showing, despite scent of fear you carry, admirable." He finally said. "But tell me, little one. Don't _you _want to know of your origins? Don't _you _want to know what you really are?"

Caeli swallowed hard, tears welling up in her eyes. "Then I shall die with regret of not knowing."

Smaug pondered for a few moments.

"No, I will not end your life, little one. That is exactly what you would want. Provoke me, enrage me, die of my claw if you can't live in freedom. This," he motioned around with his wing, "this is what you fear. This life of loneliness. Nothingness. This life that contains nothing of value to a petty human like you."

Caeli felt like she was breaking apart on the inside. He couldn't do this to her.

"Tell me," Smaug proceeded, noticing she was shattering underneath the might and persuasion of his voice, "How long were you collecting, saving up those copper coins? Surely you don't miss such worthless things."

"Damn you." Caeli whispered angrily, much to the dragon's amusement. Then a thought crossed her mind.

"… There are many ways for me to take my own life in here." She gravely said, tears gently streaming down her face. It finally made Smaug frown as he genuinely pondered about that possibility.

"… a person of your resolution would, without a doubt, do such a thing." He accepted and shook his head. "How bothersome of an artifact you turned out to be. Yet so refreshing, so interesting."

"It is my power that interests you, not me." Caeli pathetically said.

"Oh, but it is not your resistance to my flames I find entertaining this time." The old dragon admitted. "Never before have I met a human with a set mind like you, little one. Your body may be weak and useless against me, but your mind is a place I'd love to explore in depth." He finally faced her.

"Listen well, little one. I'll let you live. I'll let you have your freedom outside the walls of this fallen city. But know this; I know your kind. I know your smell. You may try to escape but know that I will burn whatever and whomever it takes to find you and trust me. In finding you, I will not fail." He paused to gaze into her eyes, a complete horror and something akin to sorrow stuck in them. "Do not look so sad. You should be grateful for your origin. Otherwise, you'd already be dead." He chuckled.

Before she could say anything, he again grabbed her in his claw and landed moments later in front of a small, unremarkable passage, roughly carved out in the mighty walls of the mountain.

"You can exit and enter the mountain through this tunnel. For now, I'll leave it accessible." Smaug turned around. "And for your own well being, watch out not to be followed." Finally, he left her, flying off into another direction and likely sitting upon yet another pile of gold to rest after a fine meal and a rampage.

Caeli didn't need to be told twice. Without ever looking back, she dashed through the tunnel, tears forming both out of horror that was Smaug the Magnificent and out of happiness that she would see the light of day once again.

It wasn't over. Caeli couldn't know, but her adventure had only just begun.


	2. Your Help is Admirable

Long, long after she got out of the perilous, dragon housing mountain, Caeli was still running and running, some would even say inhumanly far and fast, until she finally reached the forest, several dozen miles North from the place where her town had been burned to the ashes – somewhere in the distance, she could still see remnants of smoke, that likely rose from the burning homes and corpses of people she used to know.

It was finally then that Caeli allowed herself to feel like nothing more than a human being again and she threw up heavily; the dizziness, the fright, the shock, all of it accumulated in her to the point where she felt like she would burst. It felt relieving and after that she finally turned around to gaze up at the huge mountain that was supposed to be her new home – she ran an impressive distance from it. Damn it if she was ever going back in there again. Caeli was smart; she would cover up her tracks. Hopefully.

She rushed to the nearby stream, knowing well where it was – it was a regular place where she used to play as a child or where she went for a walk back when a walk through the forest didn't present people with any dangers. There, she knelt to take a drink of water. Cupping a fistful, she greedily swallowed, enjoying the refreshing sensation rushing down her throat. She reached for the stream again and felt the urge to throw up for the second time – someone's ripped, bloodied shirt had been carried by the stream. Because of the disgusting sight she couldn't force herself to drink more from the stream; but she was still thirsty, heavily dehydrated from spending time in the hot mountain.

There was another town she visited once or twice, a few miles more to the North, named Baharr. It wasn't a nice place to live, Caeli knew. It was one of those inn-filled, slightly wild places, where men travelled to rest, drink and feast after raids on small Orc settlements to the north, beneath the Grey Mountains; where young and helpless women were often mistreated and children commonly ignored. There were hardly any farmers up there, in comparison to her old, flourishing town, but apart from generally unpleasant people and lack of the nice, peaceful life she yearned for, Caeli knew it was a town where it wasn't hard to find a job and food, as there was both of those in plentiful amounts.

Tired and exhausted she made her way to Baharr, and luckily managed to reach it just as the sun started setting down. The guards eyed her cautiously – a robe like the one she was wearing was likely not often seen in these parts. The intercepted her briefly, and Caeli told them truthfully where she came from. She finally got some good news when they told her some of the people from her old town in fact survived and got here earlier. With her spirits up, Caeli thanked the guards and finally entered the town.

It was a lively, albeit dusty place. Not much grass or flora in general, but there were many animals and many children. She happily noticed there weren't many beggars around. Now if only she could keep her head low and stay out of trouble, she might make this work. Checking her belongings, she realized she had nothing of value on her, apart from her old robe and the golden bracelet she wasn't too willing to part with so easily, as it was a memento. It was then when she, by accident, slapped her hand at her pocket and heard a jingly noise. Astonished, she discovered about a dozen golden coins shining in her pocket, and realized they must've slid in when she had been climbing the hill of gold, back in Smaug lair. She had managed to rob the lizard without even knowing it. In her book, that was definitely a victory.

She entered the first inn she found, dubbed '_Lonely Inn'_ – likely the name it got thanks to the vicinity of the mountain – solely to eat to her heart's content and request a room to wash herself in. While the inn's name gave her shivers every time she thought of it, she didn't try to think of it as a bad omen and once she regained her energy, immediately asked for someone who could help her get around. She was directed to the inn's owner, a big, strong man of gruff looks and dangerous eyes, whose mustache any man would be envious of. His name was Aarne and as far as Caeli was concerned, she was lucky to locate someone who was to the point as he was – although grumpy and annoyed seemingly at everything, he soon got her introduced with pro's and con's of the city as well as directed her to few names that he knew could use a pair of hands for work. Surprised by the streak of luck that had been following her, Caeli thanked him and got out into the night air, putting away a list of names she could use.

What now, she wondered, as her gaze hesitantly returned to the Lonely Mountain. It would take her several hours of walk to reach it again – then again, why she was thinking of returning, even. She shouldn't. She mustn't. She had to escape from that horrible beast, to—

_You may try to escape but know that I will burn whatever and whomever it takes to find you and I will. Find. You."_

"No." Caeli breathed almost unconsciously as she recalled his threatening words. She couldn't let him destroy this town. He _would_ do it, she knew well. There was nothing stopping him, nothing that _could_ stop him. Wherever she went, she would spread bloodshed, unless she was to bow to his orders. She cursed silently, realizing too late he had likely counted on her going into the closest town. By doing so, she had automatically sealed its fate, should she not listen to his warning.

With heavy heart, she gave most of the golden coins for a well equipped, although old horse, some boots, extra clothing and, hesitantly, a small blade. She knew it wouldn't do any good against the dragon, but was also familiar with the barbaric behavior of people around here, and couldn't risk being completely unarmed. Spending the last of her coin on supplies of food, she finally headed for the mountain, at the time when stars already started appearing on the sky.

She was now equipped well and that gave her strength. It wasn't the same, appearing before the dragon starved, dirty and naked; this time she would show up cleansed, nourished and equipped in sturdy boots and leather armor hidden underneath her robe; despite the fact leather armor was hardly sufficient against a dragon, it gave her a feeling of protection.

It took her about an hour of riding before she reached the familiar entrance into the mountain, the one she had before so eagerly escaped from. Caeli was heavily paranoid, constantly watching out if she were followed, stopping the horse in its track to listen if there were footsteps or hooves sounding off somewhere nearby – luckily, there was no one following her. She knew Smaug wouldn't at all mind, but also wouldn't be forgiving of random trespassers – and Caeli didn't want to carry the burden of their death.

Leading her horse inside, she covered the entrance with a big bunch of bushes and vines she torn off from the rich and thick forest. Then she tied the horse to a nearby pillar, and proceeded down the hallway alone – taking the horse with her would definitely scare the poor animal senseless.

Not to mention she, herself, was becoming nervous already, dreading of another meeting with Smaug, worried about the horrifying things she'll have to listen to him say, frightened of his mere appearance, despite his claims that he would let her live. One did not simply get used to be in a presence of a dragon that ended a whole kingdom of dwarves in less than a day.

As warmth grew, she finally emerged into the familiar space, surrounded again with tons and tons of gold and riches. She was tempted to take more, to have more – Caeli didn't like to admit it, but she had quite a penchant for shiny, brilliant items of high value – not out of pure profite, but purely for aesthetic purposes. But her fear held her back, naturally so.

She didn't know whether she should announce her return, but didn't want the mighty dragon to think she never returned to begin with. Having lives of a whole town on her back was the last thing she now needed.

She swallowed, cleared her throat, and finally said, raising her voice:

"Smaug! I have returned."

His name echoed through the chambers much stronger than she expected it to. All she got in return, at first, was silence.

Faintly, she heard the sound of gold, spilling over and jingling. Then the sound of his wings echoed through the chambers, as loud as the stormy wind hailing from the ocean. The great dragon appeared and landed heavily before her, shaking the mountain's foundations.

"So you have, my precious little artifact. For a change, you look like one too." He noticed with a pleased note in his voice, enjoying how he caused her to frown by referring to her as an object once again. "It is so noble of you to protect that pathetic nest of primitive barbarians by gracing me with your presence." He added sarcastically.

Eyeing him angrily, Caeli silently replied.

"You've given me no choice."

"Oh, but I have. That's the beauty of it. One wrong move and the entire town would be engulfed in my flames. All thanks to one little person. To one little mistake." The dragon got up, hoaxing, circling her yet again like a predator that was studying its prey.

"Have you boasted to your new dirty little friends yet? Have you told them of your 'heroic' meeting with the dragon who conquered the kingdom of dwarves?"

Caeli shook her head vigorously. "I don't want to talk about that. With anyone. Not now or ever."

"Hmm. Memories haunt you so easily." The dragon purred. "You're resolute and determined, yet so afraid of many things, so… fragile." Smaug circled her one more time before lying down comfortably on his bed of gold. His one golden eye alone, she noticed, was half as big as she was. In the midst of the colorful, shiny eye, she could see her own reflection, tense and nervous, but standing firm.

"One piece of knowledge about you is still escaping me."

"Knowledge?" Caeli repeated, confused. The dragon eyed her curiously yet again and Caeli couldn't help but wonder just how interesting was her mind to the cruel, powerful dragon.

"Your name, little one. I have yet to know what glorious name has graced someone as special as you. Unless of course," he paused almost carefully, "you enjoy being possessed the same way as all the other riches I have claimed. After all, things need no names." He mocked.

"Never!" Caeli replied angrily, firmly slapping her chest as she proudly proclaimed her name.

"My name is Caeli. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Caeli." The dragon repeated in a strange tone she didn't hear before. It surprised her to see a new kind of spark in his eye, provided it wasn't just her imagination.

"You're getting more and more interesting with everything I hear."

"What do you mean? What… what is it you're not telling me? You know something of me, of this magic I posses." Caeli looked at her hands, almost as if she expected something to happen. Because Smaug was right, in retrospect – she _was_ special. She _was_ unique. But _what_ was she?

"What amI?" She asked out loud, almost devastated. She could hear the deep breath the dragon took as he replied:

"You'll find out, little one… soon."

It was at that point that Caeli learned of dragon's keen sense for riddle-making and mocking and she knew getting information from him would be as easy as escaping from this place. Like Hell would he ever outright tell her anything she asked about. Giving up, she sat down and leaned against one of the massive pillars, playing with a random coin she found on the ground.

"It doesn't matter anymore, anyway." She quietly noticed, talking more to herself than to Smaug. "You keep me here, as your prisoner and your plaything. What good do my visits to the city mean, my so called freedom when, in the end, I'm still bound to return here? I have no use of my powers or my name in this mountain. Ha. The Lonely Mountain. Suitable." She paused. "It is all the same again, just like before. I'm down on the bottom again."

"It is that attitude in human folk that I find especially cringe worthy." Smaug bluntly hissed. "You're always wallowing in self-misery like pigs in the mud. You've built empires on graves of your enemies and yet you think the bottom is something you have a possibility of returning to."

Caeli blinked as she eyed the dragon carefully.

"You can't compare the humanity's goals as a whole to one person's dreams and desires."

"What is it," Smaug inquired further, "that makes a distinction between the two? Are humans not all the same?"

"… It is the humans themselves." Caeli finished, not entirely aware of how mysterious she sounded. "… Ironic as it may sound, I never liked humans much. That's why I always took pride in my power. That's why I always hid it. I have a bad feeling that, should I reveal it to anyone… I wouldn't be who I am anymore. Feeling they would steal that one gift that I have from me. Because that's what humans do. Steal, swindle and scar other humans, their own kin. It is engraved in our nature like in no other species." The young woman finished, feeling unusually fired up with her monologue. It had been years since she spoke to someone this way, years since she had enough courage and the appropriate company to confide into, to tell of her thoughts, her fears, and her opinions. Even if it was the unusual company of a dragon, of the dragon who had attempted to kill her, she found herself appreciating it more than company of most people she had ever met.

"Those very traits of humans, Smaug, are also why the empires fall in the first place. It is just like you said. It takes one person. One mistake, of one human who doesn't care and whether it is the empire of glorious knights or a town of primitive warriors, it all ends the same."

Silence occupied the big chambers beneath the Lonely Mountain as Caeli shaped the final thoughts in her mind.

"That is why one person alone cannot rise from the bottom. One person alone can only have so much willpower, so much strength and vigor before something… something like this happens."

Caeli looked up to meet his golden eye and found out he was observing her carefully, maybe even absorbed slightly by her words. She couldn't knew that Smaug had seldom, perhaps even never met a human being who was aware of the world they lived in to the point she was. All he met was the very people she had just described – traitors of their own kin, liars, thieves and swindlers. Or ignorant peasants, who in their poverty, were just as desperate to bring misfortune to their own people for the personal gain.

"… One human alone cannot get up without an ambition in sight, I assume. " Smaug finally commented; as Caeli looked questionably at him, he continued: "Your name speaks volumes to me, along with your talent. But you're of no use or interest when you lack your purpose. Tomorrow, I will let you learn of your origin. And of yourself."

Mysterious as always, Smaug flew up and away into distant parts of the mountain city, leaving Caeli wondering what _was_ learning of her origin, if not learning of herself. _Is it not the same?_, she mused as she dug through her equipment and spread a soft fur of an animal on the gold-covered floor, lying down and occasionally glancing at the darkness Smaug had flew off into. Still, he had promised her some facts. Her hear beat stronger, suddenly hopeful, suddenly rich with energy, with life.

A long time had passed before Caeli could fall asleep, wondering if she was really again at the bottom of the pit that her life has been so far, wondering if it was really her bad luck that she had to live in the town that got rampaged by a dragon she was being a prisoner of, wondering why was it that the truth of her power, now that it was practically in her grasp, suddenly meant so much to her, more than ever before. As she fell asleep, still energized from the hope rising in her chest, she swore she could hear the mighty roar of a dragon somewhere in the night and both terrifyingly and comfortably, realized it hadn't sounded nearly as chilling or frightening as before.


	3. Your Flame is Mine

Caeli had a restless sleep. It was the very first night in the Lonely Mountain, and as adventurous as it could be, she found herself troubled with dreams of her past, present and possible future outcomes. The issues of her origin, her predicament and her purpose, all too complicated and messed up to give them full thought circle during the day, had now invaded her heavily as she kicked and groaned in her sleep, facing the invisible demons of her own mind.

She awoke with a jolt – inadvertently, she tried to yell something out, something she was likely sounding off in a dream, but her throat was scratchy and dry; without a doubt, the result of sleeping in a place usually occupied by a smoke-fuming dragon. It came out weak and strained and she coughed in an attempt to clear her voice, which only made her throat sore. It was a nasty way to wake up.

Only once she calmed down did she realize the mentioned dragon was there, half covered in his precious gold, apparently taking a nap. For a moment, she was startled by his presence, still not used to his vicinity. Still coughing, she got up and headed through the exit tunnel towards her horse. The poor animal has likely heard Smaug's terrifying growls and was likely not appreciating the dark, grassless surroundings – it was no wonder it seemed so upset. Caeli led the horse outside and let it graze on the grass and prance around while she enjoyed some fresh air and ate her breakfast. The dragon had promised her the reveal of some secrets and she didn't know what she could expect. She sincerely doubted he'd outright tell her anything – it wasn't like him to make it easy.

It was a peaceful, sunny morning, a couple of stray clouds drifting in the sky. The calming sight prompted Caeli once again to think about everything that had happened so far. If she were a complete stranger to exciting events like these – or better put, if she didn't desire them for so long now, she'd likely still be terrified, nervous, confused and her mind a complete mess. But Caeli had always wanted something more. Sure, she desired a place to settle down, to enjoy her life in peace and happiness – but most of all, she wanted to escape from the mundane life, and if that meant being housed with a dragon, for now, she didn't find it too bothersome; especially knowing he wouldn't kill her. All she had to do for now was survive. After all, things have taken quite a good turn for her. Who knew that the murderous dragon that slaughtered her entire town would be the same one who'd help her with her identity? Talk about irony.

As the mentioned dragon lingered in her thoughts, she could hear that same beast waking up, hear the thousands of golden coins spilling over even at this distance, even with the wall of the mountain between the two of them.

It didn't take long for the dragon to come out and spot her. He circled above her for a few seconds, and then suddenly flew south.

Caeli took that as a sign – mounting her horse, she swiftly followed.

Surprisingly, Smaug took her right to the place where this whole story began – to her once promising town. Caeli stunningly noticed most of it was still burning with the same vigor as before. The bodies that remained here before have been removed, likely by survivors or some hungry wild animals. Smaug had landed before the tiny town, on the very same spot where she saw him for the very first time and relaxed, looking almost comfortably happy in the field of burnt grass and soot. She tied her horse to a tree, and crossed the last 500 feet or so by herself.

"Why are we all the way here?" She asked, earning a slightly quizzical look from the dragon.

"I don't appreciate being distracted. As good of a snack it might bring, my newest toy is at the moment more interesting."

A fair point, Caeli admitted to herself, although bitterly, not liking the _'toy_' comment.

"You said you'd reveal what I am today."

"So I did." He took a good look of her. It seemingly took him a long time to force himself to finally say: "… you might want to remove your clothing."

"What? Why?"

"I know how sensitive you humans can be about that issue; no wonder, your skin being as weak as it is. But unless you want your lovely clothing burned off first, my suggestion is you remove it yourself."

Blushing slightly because of his mocking, and because she didn't remember to do so herself in the first place, Caeli proceeded to listen to his suggestion. After neatly folding her clothes and hiding her bracelet in it, she turned to him again.

"So, what now?" She bluntly demanded. Was he not somewhat entertained by her attitude and curiosity, the dragon would likely take her tone as a reason to get angry.

"The town is still burning nicely." He said almost casually, with a smirk in his deep voice, and she felt an angry sting somewhere inside her chest as he continued: "I don't suppose you ever had a chance to enjoy it?"

"I don't know what you're planning, asking me that, but aside from aggravating me it is hardly helpful."

"How impatient." The dragon mused shortly. "I'll ask you again; have you ever had the chance to enjoy fire?" He repeated that much stricter and louder than before and Caeli realized she shouldn't make him repeat himself; a shiver went down her spine. She was quick to forget how much the loudness of his voice could frighten her. Unbeknownst to him, she was extremely wary of his behavior.

"…No." She finally replied.

"As expected." Smaug concluded smugly. " We'll take advantage of my still living flames. Go, and dance in the fire that consumed your home."

Caeli has absolutely no idea what was he saying, but was smart enough not to ask the already edgy dragon anything. If Smaug loved games, then games he shall receive.

She walked into the town; trying to pay no mind to the fact Smaug was observing her every move, tuning out and focusing on whatever it was she needed to do.

The town looked even more desolate than yesterday, no wonder. Its buildings have been built with strong wood that could burn for a long time, but many of the buildings have given out rather quickly under the might of Smaug's flame. Still, not all of it was gone. Caeli noticed her small shack was still standing, albeit barely and it brought back many memories of the town she used to live on. While there weren't many genuinely pleasant things to remember, it was hard and it felt nostalgic, and she let herself shed a few tears in the memory of her small, modest home as she knelt on the patch of soot and coal, not minding the dirt, and spoke a silent prayer.

It was as she decided to move on that she noticed how hot the soot and coal still were. The heat didn't bother her at all, but with her power, she could easily tell it was hot enough to inflict minor burns on more sensitive of skins. She had no idea Smaug's fire was so strong; it even kept the soot warm still.

_Go and dance in the fire that consumed your home._

As she recalled his words, Caeli raised her eyes to the town hall. It still stood, still big and still burning stronger than any other building.

Unsure and slightly afraid, she walked towards it. She couldn't tell why she was scared at this point. Fire had never done her any harm. It wouldn't be different this time, she knew. Perhaps it was the nervousness, getting to her. Maybe the fact she was so close to answers. By time she had finally reached the building and stepped into the flames, she was still wondering what it was.

The smoke didn't bother her much, which was a pleasant side effect of her powers. The flames licked at her body freely and generously. It was at this point Caeli realized she was indeed scared of the flames - she realized she never willingly exposed herself to them; and what's worse, she never stayed in them longer than a couple of seconds. And yet, Smaug had told her to _dance _in his flames.

Her skin began to sweat. It was hot, she noticed, hotter than usual, and as the heat grew, so did the tension. Or was it the other way around?

Suddenly, the fire burned and Caeli yelped loudly in surprise and pain, retreating to hug the wall. Why? Were her powers no longer serving her? How did she lose them? For what reason?

As she calmed down, she extended her hand to test the flames. Nothing but pleasant, almost familiar warmth tingled at her fingers but she dared not to be in the house any longer – still in shock, she made her way out and breathed in the fresh air – surprisingly, the air outside cut at her lungs like a sharp knife and didn't feel as pleasant as she thought it would. Once she caught her breath, she made her way back to the dragon.

"It… it burned at my skin!" Caeli informed as soon as she reached the town gates. "It hurt me! What is happening? Are my powers abandoning me?" She was clearly panicking, and Smaug quickly silenced her with the loudness of his voice.

"Calm down, little human! It is not the fire that is hurting you, it is yourself. Such a shame."

"What are you talking about? I did exactly as you told me!"

"If you had done as I had told you, you'd emerge victorious!" Smaug snapped and Caeli tensed at his dangerous glare and tone. "Always so cautious, so sensitive about that pathetic skin coat of yours you call protection. For one there is a human who has more than that, and yet you fail to deliver."

Caeli fell silent and Smaug suddenly got up, spreading his wings.

"You do not deserve to be told what you are, not until you understand. You'll try again tomorrow." There was no saying '_no_' to that statement. Without another word and not listening to her protests, Smaug flew off.

Caeli practically fumed as she got on her horse and made her way to the town. It was the first time dragon had ticked her off well enough for her to wish to lecture him and perhaps deliver a good punch in that snout of his; Caeli, in her anger, couldn't have noticed it, but it was quite unusual for a human to feel upset, of all things, with mighty Smaug the Magnificent.

* * *

It had been three days.

Three days of visiting her still astonishingly burning town. Three days of crying and saying prayers in the soot. Three days of getting burned in the blasted town hall where she witnessed a wedding for the first time. Three days of her getting more and more agitated with the damn drake. Three days of healing her stress with a fine meal…and some work.

She couldn't have gone on without some means of earning – Smaug, with his keen sight and penchant to his loot, would've noticed her stealing sooner or later. Caeli had started spending her evenings in Baharr, at the Lonely Inn; serving the hungry men drinks and food. She initially disliked the idea of a permanent job, but had started growing slightly friendly with its grumpy owner Aarne and the workers; plus, the pay was fairly good.

It was the visitors, though, that made every day an annoyance.

Caeli had by no means considered herself to be too pretty or beautiful. If anything, she thought she was good enough to be wedded someday. So she initially hadn't a clue what was it that invited many men to throw inappropriate nicknames and callbacks at her. She concluded it must've been because she was a new face; every kind of a fresh sight was likely welcome in this town.

It was evening of the third day of her practice in the flames, and Caeli had still sorely reminisced about the today's visit to her burning town. The fires, although still burning, were growing smaller, and Caeli had a distinct, frightening gut feeling Smaug wouldn't give her any more chances once the fire was out. It would be very much in his style do that, something almost like… a game, a game of life and death. Should she not succeed...

"Damn drake…" She muttered to herself as she poured two big mugs of ale and brought them to the table. One of the men was a regular face she had grown accustomed to, as well as his horrible manners. His name was Sir Brann – Caeli believed he 'knighted' himself – and he seemed to have taken a special interest into annoying her to no end. Whether he knew how much she hated his behavior or not, was a mystery. It was only Caeli's slightly unsociable and polite demeanor she liked to present people with that stopped her from snapping back at him. She knew better than to present herself as bitter and mean before everyone. Yet this time, it seemed, would have to be an exception.

Brann suddenly caught hold of her wrist, strong enough to hurt. He was likely not aware of his strength, or drunk, or both – but it made Caeli tense. Putting on her best sober and calm expression, she demanded:

"Please let go, Sir."

Brann merely laughed, insisting on something she, through his slight slur, interpreted as '_fun times'_ and '_pay you well'_. It was enough to understand, and enough to send her mind into an overload of rage; before anyone could so much as intervene, she laid a hard slap on his face, loud enough to silence the people around him and painful enough to make him let go of his drink. With a pathetic splash, his ale spread all over the floor.

"…look at what you've done, you little bitch." Brann got up. She unfortunately noticed she barely reached his chest. He was swaying slightly. "I'll have you pay for that dearly." Once again, before Caeli could avoid it, he grabbed at her wrist and she tried to get rid of his grip.

"Let go of me, you bastard!"

"Brann, forget it! I'll buy you another one-"

"Like **HELL** this is about the damn ale!" Brann growled dangerously and pulled out his sword at the sight of Aarne and a couple of workers approaching. "Anyone so much as dares come near me, I'm cutting them up!"

Even Aarne had to stop – no owner wanted unnecessary bloodshed in their inn. Nobody moved, but Brann's moment of carelessness earned him a surprisingly strong and painful kick in the shin, weakening his grip enough for Caeli to squirm out of it.

"Come back, you little wench!"

Caeli was rushed by her colleagues through the back door where she kept her horse in the yard and she rode off into the night. There was a certain feeling rising in her, and where she not too preoccupied with riding off into the mountain, she would've noticed that, despite the panic and fear, there was something else accompanying those feelings.

* * *

"You brought the stench of foreign blood with you. Interesting; I'm glad to see you've been keeping yourself busy, it will serve you well."

Caeli blinked as she looked at the dragon, settling down on her bed of animal fur. "What are you talking about?"

Smaug carefully observed her before replying: "Your hand."

Caeli looked at her right fist. It was slightly covered in blood, but it wasn't her own.

"Oh… The bastard had it coming." She bitterly said. Smaug laughed and it was a strange laugh. Sounding almost as if he had _fun_ because of something she said. It was strange… more stranger than that was that his reaction wasn't unwelcome.

"And your family heirloom is missing."

"My what?"

"Your bracelet, little one." Smaug purred almost pleasantly. "The one you've been trying to hide from me so desperately – likely for its sentimental value. You needn't worry, I'm in no need of petty trinkets."

Damn, he was perceptive. And he was right - her left wrist was empty. Caeli panicked. Brann must've pulled it off when he grabbed her wrist.

"That son of a…" Caeli sounded distressed and she threw herself down on the furs, hiding her contorted expression into her palms. This course of action seemed to have made Smaug curious and amused.

"You seem upset, little one."

It took Caeli all the self control not to snap back at him with a classic '_you think?_', even though she knew he was merely mocking.

"The bastard demeaned me in front of everyone, he'll likely now seek his damn 'revenge' against me for putting him to shame and he took my bracelet. I have every right to be upset."

"If you had learnt to sustain my flames, you'd likely have less to worry about."

"Ha!" Caeli chuckled. "Indeed. Caeli, the mighty girl who could sustain fire. It is not like anyone could just stab me or anything." She ended sarcastically. Smaug said nothing.

"You should've seen me. I panicked like a small girl and ran away the moment I got a chance. Like Hell am I strong enough to learn to control my power, or anything else for that matter, when I can't even face one drunken fool."

Smaug growled. "You never fail to remind me just why is it that I cannot find it in me to respect any human that walks upon these lands. Your talk is the talk of the weak. Speak like a lost cause and you'll soon become one; and to walk that path means to die, be it of my claw or someone else's."

Caeli fell silent, partially because Smaug had scared her to a certain degree. But partially because she realized he was right. Complaining never got anyone anywhere. She stared into the distant ceiling, pondering.

_Speak like a lost cause and you'll become one._

Her eyes started to close.

_Like a lost cause… becoming one…_

But what if she never passed Smaug's test?

_…talk of the weak._

She was drifting off.

_Like one… becoming one…_

What was it in the fire that made her vulnerable again?

_Becoming one._

Caeli got up abruptly. Her breathing was heavy. Her eyes were sparkling. She knew.

_ She knew._

"I got it." She whispered, and Smaug raised his head in a curious prompt.

"**I finally got it**!" Caeli yelled almost ecstatically and without paying half a mind to the mighty dragon, dashed through the tunnel, got on her horse and galloped in the direction of her old hometown.

The short trip passed as swiftly as a dream. She practically jumped off her horse as she made her way over the bridge ad through the torn down town gates, in process getting rid of her clothes and shoes, stripping until her bare skin shone palely in the moonlight and her dark hair fluttered in the chilly night, the breeze carrying the warmth of the still burning town hall, burning brightly four days after Smaug's flame had laid its destruction upon it.

For a moment, she stood before it, marveling in her knowledge, in her realization, in something unusual, something strange and new and exciting that rushed through her blood and skin and nerves like a poison, like an opium, something prickly, hot and intoxicating than she wanted to know better.

Then she dashed inside, into the fire.

As she stood among the flames, Caeli knew - and she bathed in the flames, fearless and carefree, danced among the fallen debris and the remains of her hometown and the fallen people she could care less about at that moment, cruel as it sounded, for at that moment there existed nothing but the fire and her, allowing the flames to compliment her body, feeling their support, carrying her, dancing with her, listening to her – becoming one with her.

Caeli hardly had the perception of the time as she let the fire consume her and, in turn, as she consumed the fire. By the time she had reached the peak of this unusual feeling, by the time her head started to spin, drunk on the power and sensation of dance and magic, the town hall burned to the ground, Smaug's fire aided by her magical dance.

Caeli found herself standing in the soot and coal once again, her magic and Smaug's flame having completely devoured the remains of the building to its foundations in less than an hour. Her hair, dark as always, gave off a warm shine underneath the moon and her skin, still pale, seemed to have taken on a temporary, slightly copper shine to it, likely the effect of the fire magic that suddenly surged through her.

As she made her way to the town gates, she gathered her clothing, slowly, deliberately so, knowing that a certain drake would be waiting for her, knowing he was at least, at the very least, slightly curious to see her now – the thought had entertained her immensely. The old Caeli, she decided, the weak Caeli, would no longer stand in her path.

And once she reached the gates, she looked up at the dragon with the cockiest of smirks, the one she couldn't help, the one that had clearly told the dragon that the woman who stood before him, although the same, had virtually went through a change as big and as important as the life itself.

And what else could a dragon, a dragon as magnificent, powerful and arrogant as Smaug say, other than…

"For an artifact, you're the most impressive one."

_Good enough for now._ Caeli thought as she gave the dragon a toothy grin, promising herself that she would, without a doubt, grow to be on par with Smaug the Magnificent; and that she would, indeed, grow to be the most impressive of artifacts he has ever had a chance of knowing.


End file.
